


Valentine's Day

by that70sgilmore



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Angst, Dorks in Love, F/M, First Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Literati, Love Confessions, Post AYITL, valentines day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:08:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26473897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that70sgilmore/pseuds/that70sgilmore
Summary: After she wrote her book, Rory moved to Philadelphia and her and Jess started a more stablished friendship. As time passed, they created a few traditions, incluinding spending every Valentines Day together. And this specific one, things might change.
Relationships: Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano
Kudos: 25





	Valentine's Day

Jess used to get to Rory's house around 10am, so that they can spend the whole day together. He always showed up with a bouquet of tulips even though she always complained about it, and this time wouldn't be different. After their little anual argument over the buque, Rory put her cardigan on and they walked to Jess' car. As she watched him drive, Rory asked "So, where are we going today?"

"Oh, c'mon. You know where we are going."

"Again? I kinda thought you were going to change a bit today." She didn't know why but she felt that things were going to be different this year.

"Yeah? Why would I?" Jess was happy. You could feel he was smiling through his voice. Rory liked it.

"I don't know. Just a silly thought."

"Not that silly. Just wait, ok?" Now she was surprised. And excited. They always do the same thing on valentine's and Jess has always been so good with surprises. She wanted to know what it would be and the idea of spending a whole day not really knowing what's gonna happen sounded special.

"Ok, I'll wait." Jess didn't realise it, but Rory was more happy than usual. She was just genuinely happy, she used to feel like that around Jess but most times there was also a bit of angst, except for this time, she was just happy. She really loved him, but neither of them understood it.

They kept talking for a while, but the path to Truncheon's wasn't that long. Jess' friends don't understand why he always brings his friend that is also his ex that still loves for his work place on every valentine's day but Rory loved it. The idea of spending the whole morning in a bookstore with Jess and having the upstairs for themselves where they could read and eat together and just appreciate each other felt perfect. It kinda reminded her of the being of their relationship.

They were both upstairs organizing the place together when Matthew called them to help a customer. When they got there he introduced them to the girl standing next to him. "Jess, Rory, this is Amber. She is here to buy your book for her girlfriend, cause it's her favorite so I thought it would be cool if you meet or I don't know maybe you could sign it for her."

Rory was kinda surprised. She knew that some people really liked her book, but everytime she met someone who actually liked what she wrote about her own life it felt unreal. "Yeah, of course. Hi Amber, as you know I'm Rory and this is my friend Jess. Do you want a picture or something?"

"Yes, please! I still can't believe this is happening."

They took the picture, and Rory started signing the book. "I'm sorry, what's your girlfriend's name?"

"Ruby. She will be so happy you have no idea"

"My love life is a disaster, so it's good to know that I'll make someone's day better." Rory gave the book to Amber as both of them smiled.  
"Trust me, you really will. I gotta go but don't worry, some really magic and romantic stuff can happen on valentine's day."

"That's what I've heard." 

Getting closer to her Jess said not that loud. “I think we should go too. I’ve talked to the guy’s they said it’s ok if I leave a little earlier today and we gotta get some lunch, right?”

Looking at him so close to her, she answered. “Right. Let’s go.”

In the car again, Rory was the one driving this time. “So, where did you planned the lunch?”

Jess smiled thinking about the place he was going to take her. “It’s kinda far. Are you sure you wanna drive?”

“I like driving around with you.” They stared at each other for a little while. Rory was remembering the day she was supposed to help him study, but they went to get some ice cream in cones and crashed the car. She ended up with a broken arm and Jess moved back to New York for a while. It’s been so many years, but right now, looking at him it was like nothing had ever changed and they were both still those two teenagers who loved each other in secret. 

“I’m a fun guy. I’ll give you the directions as we go.”

About twenty minutes later there they were, walking to a bridge that really looked like the one in Stars Hollow. Jess didn’t it to be so clear with what he was trying to do until the end of the day, cause for some reason he just gave he could pretend it wasn’t anything special but the day that him and Rory had a picnic in Stars Hollow bridge after the whole thing of him bidding in her basket was one of his favorite moments he spent with before they dated.

“Jess… How did you know about this bridge? I’ve been living here for the last years and I never heard anyone talking about it.”

“You know how i feel about bridges. They just can’t help but love me.” Rory didn’t want to, but kinda laughed. There was something about being around Jess that made her genuinely happy about everything.

“Has Luke ever pushed you here?” Now Jess was the one laughing. He couldn’t believe Rory actually remembered this.

“Still hasn’t. But you can if you want to.”

“Maybe after we eat. And what are we going to eat?”

“See there?” Jess pointed to a big picnic that probably took a few hours to be organized. “I asked a few friends to help me today.”

As they walked towards the picnic, Rory kept talking “Well, I’m sorry I didn't plan anything. I think if I asked Paris to help with anything like this you wouldn't be the only who’d ended up in the lake.” 

“That’s fine. So, Lane would also push you?” 

“Oh, no. She’d be a great help. With a great soundtrack.”

“Every great moment needs a great song with it.” Jess said while they set down and started eating. 

“So, this is a great moment?”

“Every moment with us becomes great at some point. Thought you’d know that now.”

“I guess they do. We really were something” 

Looking at Rory as he smiled, Jess said “C’mon, we still are something.”

After a few quiet minutes just staring at each other and thinking about their feelings, that at the moment, were a lot, Jess asked “Do you remember the night we met?”

Oh, she did. For some reason she remembered everything so clearly. Luke and Jess were going to have dinner at her place, and while she studied he showed up at her room lying that he didn’t read much and trying to get away. She also remembers when she realised that she was falling for him. All of those important moments that she remembers so easily which is kinda weird since they’ve happened so long ago. She doesn’t understand why Jess is so important to her or why she always thinks about before she sleeps or how he is how she imagined the perfect father for her son, even though he isn’t the actual father. Sometimes she wonders if all these things mean something. Sometimes she wonders if he is the one. But she’s always scared. It just, it is what it is, it has always been like this. 

“Of course I do. You lied saying that you didn’t read much, stole my mom’s beer and then disappeared” They both laughed thinking about those moments. Once Jess told Rory that he knew they were supposed to be together since that day, and somehow she also knew that something changed the exact moment she first saw him.

“What can I say? I’ve always been good with magic.”

“That is something I’d like to forget.” She remembered all those times he did magic when they were teenagers. She used to love when he did it with Luke, it always made her laugh.

“It worked for me to get you.” Jess defended his old habits as a joke, but he actually used it to get Rory lots of times.

“Jesus, how did I fall for a guy with magic tricks?” 

“My taste for books kinda helped.”

“Right, Mr. Hemingway.”

“You don’t want me to say it again, right?” Jess stared at Rory the whole time. Just looking at her makes him feel so good.

“Kinda.”

“You know, Ernest only has lovely things to say about you. And he isn’t the only one.” He tried to say the exact words he said almost twenty years ago when they had a picnic on a bridge for the first. They both changed a lot. But it still felt the same, how he could spend hours looking at her beautiful eyes and how her smiles makes him smile without realising and how her laugh is the most beautiful thing he ever heard. 

“Well I hope he isn’t the only one.” By the way Jess looked, she knew his answer to that.

“Enough with dead people, do you think that Gilmore girl that wrote a book about her life will release anything new? I heard her first book did pretty well on sales.” 

Laughing a little bit, Rory retorted “Honestly I don’t think she’ll release something new anytime soon. But I’m very curious to know what guy with a few books from Truncheon is gonna release next. I think his name is Jess Marian.” 

“You’re very funny, but c’mon talk more about you.” 

“I actually tried writing something new. I have a few ideas, but nothing feels right after my first book.” 

After a few minutes pondering Jess stood up, and said “Ok. Come with me.” So without realising it, he held Rory’s hand and they went to the car.

They talked a lot in the car, and Rory kept asking where they were going but he wouldn't tell her until they got there, and then, they did. For some reason they were back at Truncheon and Jess led her to the back of the store. The place was kind of a mess, but still very inspirative like the rest of the store.

“After i finished The Subsect I didn’t really know what to do, but after that time when you first came here i sat in this exact chair and started writing a new book. It got released, but I started it. Cause I was feeling something. You just have to start something new Rory, it doesn’t even have to be good. You just have to feel something.” 

After pondering for some seconds, Rory answered looking at Jess “Well, that’s actually good.”

“It’s my thing. Still don’t know why you are so surprised.”

“It just… It’s always you, you know? You’re the one who saves me, gives me ideas. If it wasn’t for you I wouldn't have even got back to Yale years ago.”

Before she could finish, Jess interrupted her “You did that yourself. I just helped you a little. It’s what anyone should’ve done.”

They were starting to get nervous. Thinking about their past like this wasn’t always the best idea. “But no one did. You were the only one Jess, and this wasn’t the only time.”

“You say this as if I would be able to do anything without you.”

Rory thought for a while about what she was gonna say next. She knew what she wanted to say, but she didn’t know if she was ready to say it. “And don’t you think that means something?”

“Rory… c’mon” Jess' voice started to a little bit lower, his heart was too heavy to say anything big right now. 

“No Jess, I meant it. Don’t you think that the fact that even after all this time we’re still here, helping each other like no one else ever did, means something? Cause honestly, I don’t ever wanna lose this.” 

“I know it means something. I’ve known this for years. But do you really? Is it really what you want? Cause if you say no and leave me broken again, that’s fine too. I don’t care Rory. I just don’t wanna lose you. Ever.” Jess' voice was a little louder than before. His heart was still heavy and ready to be broken, but he couldn't take it anymore, pretending to be fine was way harder than how he made it seen. 

“Jess, in my Chilton graduation you called me. You called me and didn’t say anything, after leaving town without saying goodbye. I was mad, really mad and I wanted to hate you so badly. I would make everything so easier. But I didn’t. I loved you, and I think I still do. I told that day that I loved you but I needed to let it go. I don’t think I ever let it go.” 

By the way Jess was staring at Rory, she knew what he was saying. When even him didn't know what to say, somehow she knew what he meant. She always did. Just by looking at him. 

“Jess, I love you. And I know this is terrible timing cause we’re great as friends, and if you wanna just leave and pretend this never happened, that’s fine it really is. Can you just say something, please? I’ve been babbling for minutes and if I don’t stop now is gonna get pretty weird.”

He tried to think about something big, but this time it was Rory’s moment. “You Gilmores do know how to make a guy speechless.”

Laughing quietly, she answered “It’s our gift. So...?”

“You really love me?” Jess was honestly, surprised. It was to believe that some loved him, even more when this someone is Rory Gilmore.

“I really do, always have. And I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out.”

“I’ve always loved you too.” 

They were both smiling and getting closer. A lot was gonna change at this moment, but they just wanted to enjoy it. So as their lips slowly touched for the first time in thirteen years, they felt genuine happiness and like it was finally, a real Valentine’s Day.


End file.
